knife (weapon)

A so-called beheading knife. Consists of a long flat metal blade hooked at the end with three protrusions along its length and a carved wooden handle. The cutting blade is along the outside edge of the curve. There is incised decoration on the surface of the blade in the form of parallel straight and dashed lines and three deeper grooves where the blade meets the handle. The handle has three faceted pommels at its base and is bound with leather cord above the hand grip. Traces of red pigment are visible on the leather. Attributed to the Bangala people.

Collected by Rev. Kenred Smith in Northern Democratic Republic of Congo when it was the Congo Free State and later Belgian Congo. He was primarily based at Bopoto (Upoto) Station, a Baptist Missionary Society post on the Upper River from the years 1896 - 1914.